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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. hand — help
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. press — newspapers
  5. swing — to play on
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. press — to push
  10. fine — all right
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. pound — a weight
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fine — high quality
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — music
  20. hand — in cards
  21. press — a publisher
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. jam — a tight spot

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com